'Follow Journalistic Norms': MP High Court Directs Print, Social Media Platforms To Delete Objectionable Posts' Links Against Acharya Dhirendra Shastri

Taking action on a petition filed by one of the disciples, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has given stringent directions to social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube to remove tarnishing content published about the Hindu religious preacher Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

The single-judge bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi also added that any posts related to the Acharya 'should adhere to the norms of journalistic conduct'. As an interim measure, the veracity of any such news/posts must be verified by local media channels and social media platforms. Then, it must be determined if the posts/news are disgraceful for the leader's image after taking into account the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the court observed.

“…It is also directed that the posts already displayed in electronic media, which tarnishes the image of Aacharya Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri shall be deleted forthwith”, the bench sitting at Indore concluded in the order.

The court has posted the matter for return of notice in the week commencing from 08.01.2024.

Before the High Court, the petitioner, Ranjit Singh Patel, alleged that the posts currently being circulated about the Acharya are not only defamatory but also tantamount to maligning the image of Peethadheeshwar of Shri Bageshwar Dham, Chhatarpur. The counsel for the petitioner also furnished certain posts and news articles about his Acharya in online and print media, that were allegedly derogatory.

It was the petitioner's case that the 10^th respondent, R.D. Prajapati, an ex-MLA, was unhappy with the prodigy of Acharya. According to the petitioner, the 10^th respondent, who claims to be an OBC rights activist, had been colluding with the other respondents to deliberately tarnish the image of his leader in the public eye by posting such objectionable posts. Such posts are also a direct onslaught on the religious reverence and gravely hurtful to the sentiments of Acharya's disciples, it was further submitted before the single judge bench.

The counsel, Pankaj Dubey, referred to Rule 2 of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 which talks about the definitions of 'social media intermediary' and 'publisher'. Similarly, Rule 3 mentions about the exercise to be undertaken before publishing any news item related to an individual. The electronic media platforms should have checked the veracity of such news before publishing it via such platforms, the petitioner submitted.

Though the petitioner made various representations to the connected authorities, no action whatsoever was taken which necessitated the filing of the current petition, the petitioner added.

Case Title: Ranjit Singh Patel v. The State Of Madhya Pradesh And Ors.

Case No: WP No. 29667 of 2023

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